1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to wearing apparel and, more particularly, to protective jackets to protect football players from injuries resulting from blows to the rib cage.
2. Prior Art
In violent contact sports, such as football, the players are constantly subjected to blows that result in broken or cracked bones. In particular, the player's rib cage and jaw area have been areas of frequent injury.
To reduce these injuries, numerous types of padding, helmets and even flack jackets have been employed. However, the need for flexible, lightweight garments that do not restrict the player's movements but which afford more reliable, better protection against broken or cracked bones, particularly to the rib cage and jaw, are still desired.